27 



lieve, independent of the value of the animal itself, proved a 

 source of very considerable pecuniary loss to the Society. 

 Let us hope that we shall be more fortunate on the next 

 occasion. 



3. Visitors. 



The number of visitors to the Gardens in the year 1839 . 

 was 158,432, of whom 58,349 were privileged, and 100,083 

 a,dmitted on the usual orders. The numbers of the latter 

 class fell short of those which visited the Establishment du- 

 ring the preceding year by 12,714; but the decline in the 

 former or privileged class amounted to 10,122, which is 

 nearly double the ratio of the decline in the non-privileged 

 class, and a convincing proof that both are to be attributed 

 to the inclemency of the season, since there was no diminu- 

 tion, but, on the contrary, a considerable accession to the 

 number of Members, within the year. The part of the pre- 

 sent year which has already elapsed, exhibits an increase of 

 220 privileged and 5978 non-privileged visitors, as compared 

 with the corresponding portion of the last. 



RESIGNATION OF THE SECRETARY. 



At a Meeting of the Council held on the 19th of June last, 

 Mr. Barlow^ represented that the state of his health, the 

 length of his unavoidable absence from London in the 

 course of the year, and the pressure of other duties, pre- 

 vented him from continuing to devote that time and attention 

 to the discharge of the official duties of the Secretaryship, 

 which the business and responsibility of the office required. 

 He therefore requested the Council to accept his resignation, 

 and the request was accordingly complied with ; but the 

 Council cannot let this opportunity pass without express- 

 ing their high sense of the value of the services which Mr. 

 Barlow^ rendered to the Society during his tenure of office, 

 and their regret that the reasons above alluded to rendered 

 it necessary for him to resign. 



